Ditcher



A. L. MEYER Jan. 30, 1940.

Filed April '7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan.30, 1940. A. L. MEYER2,188,892

DITCHER Filed April' 7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 30, 1940DITCHEE' Alvin L. Meyen Fairfield, Mont. Application April 7, 1939,Serial No. 266,903;

4 Claims.

Thisyinvention relates to ditch digging devices, andmore particularly toa digger "embodying a triangularly shaped plow anda mobile frameincluding a pair of rear-wheels which are adapted to straddle the ditchformed ,by-the plow.

An object of the invention is to provide an im* proved ditch diggingdevice of this type which is simple in construction, and which is socona ditch of dea device of this type including a mobile frame and aplow supported relative to the frame, the plow being so supported at therear thereof that it may have relative horizontal movement with respectto the frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ditch digging device ofthis type including an improved means for elevating or lowering theplow. I

A further object of the invention is to provide in a ditch diggingdevice of-thistype," means whereby the operator may stand on the plowbetween the sides thereof, the supporting means being constructed in theform of a platform which is also adapted to brace thesides of the plow.

hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel. construction,combination and arrange ment of parts aswill be more specificallydescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawi.ngs,wherein is shownan embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understoodlthat changes,variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall withinthescope of the invention as claimed.

Figure 1 is a detailside elevational viewj'part -f 1y broken away, of aditch digging device 'constructed according to an embodiment of this imventicn; and 1 t Figure 2 is a detail top plan, partly broken' away, ofthe device.

Referring to the drawings numeral l0 desighates generally a mobileframe, comprising a pair of forwardly convergent side bars H and a rearconnecting bar !2. The bars ll and-l2 forming the frame, are formed ofangle iron and the side bars .Hhave one side l3 thereof horizontal andthe other side 'I 4 vertical. sidebars II are secured to. the rear barI2 by means of fastening devices 15.

A vertically disposed front bearing 15 is. posi- To the foregoingobjects and others which may The rear ends of the tionedforwardly of theconvergentv ends of the fiideysbars, H and. a. substantially.triangularly' shapedplate I'I'is formedinteg'ral with the bearor sides ii of the angle bars ll and are secured thereto by meansof fasteningdevices E9 in the form-of bolts or the like. a I A caster wheel 20 isjournalled on a shaft- 2! extending betweena pair of rearwardlyextending arms 2'2, which are carried by the lower end of a verticalshaft 23; The shaft 23 is journalled in the bearing it and'a washerM-engages about the'shaft 23 on the upper end of the bearing 16. Acotter pin or locking. member 25 extends through the shaft 23 abovethewashe'r it so as to holdthe shaft 23 against endwise movement. Abracing web" 26'connec'ts the rear portion of the bearing I6 with'theunderside ofthe plate l1 so as to properly brace the bearing 16 andmaintain this bearing ina vertical position;

A pair of stub-shafts 21 are disposed beneath;

the rear frame bar l2 and. are secured thereto bymeans of fasteningdevices 28. e A wheel 29 is rotatably mounted on each stub shaft 2'l andthe wheels 29 are adapted to engage on opposite sides of the ditchformed by the plow supported from the frame 1B,:as will hereinafter bedescribed. A

plow, generally designated as 30, is adjustably supported from the framein and comprises a pair of forwardly convergent side members ormoidboardstL, The side members St, at their forward convergent ends,areJconnected together by means of a plate 32 which is secured, as: by

fastening members 33, to'the forward ends of side platej3j2 forms acutting or digging member which is adapted to form a relatively-narrowchannel at the bottom of the channel formed by the mold 'boardstl. :1 IThe rear ends: of the moldboards 3|. are con nected together. by meansof an" end member 35.

The mold boards '31,. adjacent the rear thereof, are eachprovi-dedwith avertically disposed bar 36 which is securedto a1mold board 3! on "theinner side thereof, as by'zwelding, or the like, and

preferably the bars 36 and themold boards 3! are formedwith verticallyspaced apart openings v31. A pivot member 38 "is adapted to engagethrougha selected op'ening3l and-is also adapted to slidably engage inahorizontally disposed 61011,-

mold boards 3|, and engages on the opposite ends thereof, on asupporting member 4|, secured to the inner face of a mold board 3|. Theplatform 48 forms a bracing means between the mold boards 3|, so as toprevent inward bending thereof, and also forms a means whereby theoperator of the device may stand on the plow 38 between the mold boards3|, during the operation or use of the plow. 1

A pair of vertically disposed elongated guide members 42 are disposedabove the frame I0, and each guide member 42 is provided with ahorizontal flange 43. A pair of vertically disposed supporting membersor bars 44, having a horizontal extension 45 at their upper ends, aresecured, as by fastening members 46, to the flanges 43 at the forwardends thereof. The supporting members 44 are secured. at their lower endsto a transversely disposed forward angle bar 41,

which is secured, as by fastening means 48, to

the side frame members The lower ends of the supporting members 44 aresecured to the vertical side 49 of each angle member 44, by fasteningmembers 56.

A pair of'vertically disposed rear'supporting bars 5|, providedwithforwardly extending upper end portions 52, are secured by fasteningmeans 53 to the rear ends of the flanges 43. The lower ends of thesupporting bars 5| are secured to a vertical side 54 of a. transverselyextending angle member 55 which is secured byfastening' means 56 to theframe members The lower ends of the supporting bars 5| are secured byfastening members 51, to the vertical side 54.

A vertically disposed rack or toothed bar 58 is slidable between guidemembers 42 and the lower end of the rack bar 58 is pivotally secured atthe convergent ends of a pair of forwardly convergent supporting bars 59which are secured at theirv divergent ends by fastening means 60 to theinnersides of the mold boards 3|. Asshown in Figure 1, the supportingbars 59 are disposed on a forward and upward inclination, and the lowerend of the rack bar 58 is pivotally secured, as at 6|, to the convergentends of the supporting bars 59. The bars 59 are provided with aforwardly extending member 62'which extendsforwardly of theforward upperends of the mold boards 3| A link 63 is secured at its forwardend to thebracing web 26, as at 64, and the rear end of the link 63 is secured, asat 65, to the extension 62. I

A shaft 66 is journalled through the guide members 42 and a pinion orgear 61 is fixed to the shaft 66 between the guide members 42 and mesheswith the teeth of/the' rack 58. A hand wheel 68 is fixed to one end ofthe shaft 66 and provides a means whereby the plow 38 may be" verticallyrocked on thepivot members 38.: A transversely disposed guide member 63extends between the guide members 42 and/is adapted to engage againstthe edge .of the rack bar 58 opposite from the teeth carried thereby.The hand A transversely extending draw bar 12 is se side member ll ofthe frame.

In the use and operation of this plow a suit= able power means isadapted to be connected to the draft bar 12 The plow 3|).may be loweredat its forward end by removing the locking pin 16, so as to permitrotation of the wheel 38 in a.

direction to lower a rack bar 58. When the plow 36' has been lowered tothe desired degree the wheel 68 may be locked by inserting the pin 10through the guide members 42 and between a pair of spokes ll carried bythe wheel 68. Lowering of the plow 36 will cause the pivot members 38 toslide forwardly in the horizontal slots 39 of the side members Byproviding the plow 36 with the plurality of spaced openings 31, the

width of the ditch formed by the plow 36 can be easily and quicklyadjusted. The depth of the ditch is controlled by the position of theforward end of the plow 30, as regulated by the hand wheel 68. Aplowconstructed according to this invention will form a ditch of desireddepth and width and where the widthof the ditch being formed is lessthan the space between the rear ends of the moldboards 3|, theprojecting portions of the mold boards 3| will form a means to throw theloose dirt laterally of the upper edge of the ditch. By providing a flatcutting mem ber 32 on the front end of the plow 36, the loosened dirt isnot apt to drop down into the bottom of the ditch as would be the casewhere the forward ends of the plow mold boards are connected together inthe form of a sharp point.

What I claim is: 1. A ditchdigging device comprising a mobile frame, atriangularly shaped plow, said frame having a pair of elongated slotsadjacent the rear thereof, a pair of pivot members secured to said plowadjacent the base thereof and slidable in said slots, a link connectedat one end to said frame adjacent the forward end thereof, and pivotallyconnected at the opposite end to the forward end of said .plow, rackbar, means pivotally securing the lower end of said bar to said plowadjacent the forward end thereof, guide means for said rack bar, means.

a vertically disposed supporting said guide means in upwardly spaced;

relation to said frame, a shaft journalled through said guide means, apinion fixed to said shaft and meshing with said rack bar, a hand wheelfixed to said shaft, and means locking said wheel against rotation tothereby maintain the forward end of said plow in selected positionrelative to the frame.

2. A ditch digging device comprising a mobile frame, a triangularlyshaped plow positioned with the apex at the front end of the frame andthe base at the rear of the frame, said frame having a pair of elongatedhorizontal slots adjacent the rear thereof, a pair of pivot memberscarried by said plowvand slidably engaging in said slot, ,a forwardlyextending downwardly inclined link connected at its forward end with theframe and having its rear end pivotally connected withv the top of theplow at the forward end of the latter,

' a platform carried bysaid plow, a vertically dis posed rack bar,means. pivotally securing the lower end of said bar to said plowadjacent the forward end thereof, a pair of spaced apart parallel'guidemembers engaging on opposite sides of said bar, a flange carried by eachguide member, guide supporting means secured to and extending upwardlyof said frame, means securingsaid flanges to said supporting means, atransverse guide extending between said guide members and engageablewith an edge of said bar, a shaft journalled through said guide members,a pinion fixed to said shaft between said guide members and meshing withsaid rack bar, a hand wheel fixed to said shaft, and means holding saidwheel against rotation.

3. A ditch digging device comprising a mobile frame, a triangularlyshaped plow positioned with the apex at the front end of the frame andthe base at the rear of the frame, said frame having a pair of elongatedhorizontal slots adjacent the rear thereof, a pair of pivot memberscarried by said plow and slidably engaging in said slot, a linkageconnected to the forward end of the plow, extended forwardly from thelatter and having its forward end connected with the frame, a platformcarried by said plow, a vertically disposed rack bar, means pivotallysecuring the lower end of said bar to said plow adjacent the forward endthereof, a pair of spaced apart parallel guide members engaging onopposite sides of said bar, a flange carried by each guide member, guidesupporting means secured to and extending upwardly of said frame, meanssecuring said flanges to said supporting means, a transverse guideextending between said guide members and engageable with an edge of saidbar, a shaft journalled through said guide members, a pinion fixed tosaid shaft between said guide members and meshing with said rack bar,

a hand wheel fixed to said shaft, and a wheel locking pin removablyengaging with said guide members, and engageable with said wheel to holdsaid wheel against rotation.

4. A ditch digging device comprising a frame formed of a pair offorwardly convergent bars, and a rear bar connecting the divergent endsof said bars together, a front bearing, means securing said bearing tothe convergent ends of said bars, a caster wheel carried by saidbearing, a pair of stub shafts, means securing said stub shafts to saidrear bars, a rear wheel on each stub, shaft, said pair of bars eachhaving an elongated slot adjacent the rear end thereof, a

,triangularly shaped plow, said plow having a plurality of verticallyspaced apart openings adjacent the rear thereof, pivot members engagingthrough selected openings of said plow and through said slots, anextension carried by the front of the plow and extended up into theframe, a forwardly extending downwardly inclined link having its rearend pivotally connected to the upper end of the extension and itsforward end connected with the frame, a toothed rack bar, meanspivotally securing an end of said rack bar to said plow adjacent theforward end thereof, guide means for said rack bar, means supportingsaid guide means upwardly of said frame, a shaft journalled through saidguide means, a pinion fixed to said shaft and meshing with said rackbar, a hand wheel fixed to said shaft, and means locking said hand wheelagainst rotation.

ALVIN L. MEYEIR.

